Sarbananda Sonowal wants India, Bangladesh to fight common enemies together

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal Sunday said India and Bangladesh should fight their common enemies like poverty and terrorism together.

"We have common enemies, problems and threats. Those have to be combated and fought together. Our common enemy is poverty and together we have to fight that. Our common threats, which of course are also a global threat, are terrorism and fundamentalism," Sonowal said.

File image of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. PTI

He was addressing the inaugural programme of the 8th Round of India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue here.

Territories of India and Bangladesh should not be allowed to be used for activities inimical to the interest of either of the countries, Sonowal said.

He also highlighted the need to improve market access and remove barriers of trade, including port restrictions, to ensure smooth movements of goods.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar said both the countries were showing a model relationship for mutual growth. He said 35 agreements were signed during Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India and 22 pacts were inked during her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

Of these agreements, 13 were commercial in nature, which were expected to bring industrial growth in both the countries, Akbar said.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said both the countries need to cement ties for mutual growth. Stating that a prosperous Bangladesh can contribute to the growth of India, he requested the India government to provide market access for their products.